The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-08-11
The Murder Of Sudeikin.

s : i
The st. Petersburg correspondent
Of the London Daily News tells the
story of the murder in st. Petersburg.
on December 90. 1883, Of Col. 'sudei-
kin, Chief of tho Russian Secret Police.
for which six men and young girl
were recently sentenced to death.
Sudeikin was found dead and horribly
mutilated in a room in the Nevski,
which he used as d kind Ut Office ior
his COMMUNICATIONS with his spies.
BY his side lay his relative NJ. Sudoff-
ski, who was also j member OF the
secret police. He; too; was fearfully
wounded, but he was not. dead; and
he was eventually able to give intor:
nation that put justice on the track
of the murdefers: Col. Sudeikin was
always open to an arrangement with
repentant 6f impecunious crime. He
had found a tool, Or he thought he
had, in one Degaieff, whom he had
tracked as a Nihilist; but not denounc-
ed to the authorities, and to whom
he appears to have, offered i choice
between death and treason to the
revolutionary cause. Degaieff sent
word of Sudeikin's offer to the Revo-
lutionary Committee sitting in Paris.
and he received their permission to
accept it, but of course not to accept
it in good faith. In his new capacity
he was perhaps equally useful to both
parties. for the denunciation OF GER
tain subordinate agents that won him
the confidence of Sudeikin may, at the
same time, have served to rid the
committee of persons suspected to
treachery to themselves. At any rate,
Degaieff played his base part basely,
for he was, in some instances, the in.
stigator of the very crimes he denounc-
ed. He advanced In the favor of
sudeikin, but he was not equally for
tunate in retaining the confidence of his
friends in Paris: They began to. sus:
pect him, and they sent out kind of
commissioner with full power to in
quire into his fidelity and deal with
the case as he thought fit. This COM
missioner, one 1opatin. contrived to
reach st. Petersburg in safety. and he
soon brought matters to an issue by
ordering Degaieff to murder his pa
iron Sudeikin in proof of his loyalty
to the Paris Com mittee. Degaieff at
once prepared to obey the order. He
gave the Chief of Police q rendezvous at
the apartment in which they used meet
for business, and he had two assistant
murderers hidden in an adjoining
room. Sudelkin was accompanied by
his nephew Sudoffski. As soon as the
doomed man had taken his seat, De-
gaieff engaged his attention by show
ing him the proof-sheet of g. forth
coming number of a revolutionary
journal. This sheet contained g. lank
space which was reserved for the an
nouncement of Sudeikin's murder,
and which afterwards was actually
filled in that way. Sudeikin had
hardly taken the proof in his hand
when Degaieff slipped behind him and
discharged q revolver at his head.
Sudeikin rose. badly wounded as he
was, and tried to escape; but at this
moment the ambushed murderers
rushed into the room. One of them
delt him a heavy blow on the skull
with an iron bar, while the other fell
ed Sudoftski in the same way. There
was no trouble with Sudoffski; but
the Chief of Police made q most des-
perate fight for llfe He staggered to
the door on his way to the ante-room,
where his own revolver lay in the
pocket of his cloak, but his flight was
intercepted, and he received blow
after blow until he fell dead. The MUIR
derers dispersed in different directions.
The russian Government, however,
seems to hav followed their move
with sleepless vigilance, arresting
them as opportunity served.